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Description

Bars of Luget limestone set with epoxy; galvanized angle frame

Additional Information

Donated by DeMarco Bros. The design utilizes stone panels from the Holland Center project that were damaged in shipped. Bars of stone were cut from the damaged panels for an effective use of largely discarded materials. The layered stone represents the stratification that occurs in natural earth formations.

Additional Information: “aha-Mo!” the prairie individual, welcomes you to the City of Omaha. “aha-Mo!” is sponsored by The Architectural Offices, Paul Konchagulian, Dundee Bank, Werner Paint and Nielsen-Baumert Engineering.
This piece is made exclusively of mild plate steel. The three main forms will be welded steel plate. Depth of the piece was achieved by adding sides to the profile of the hand and fingers. The steel was cut to shape with plasma cutter. The steel pieces have Mr. Konchagulian’s trademark stitching. This project is very sustainable. The United States Green Building Council lists steel as the only material which has at least 25% post consumer recycled content. The steel used was donated from the remodeling of Dundee Bank in Omaha. Steel also can be easily recycled when “Take a Seat” has reached the end of its useful life.

Additional Information: Donated by ATOMdesign, InfraStructure, KSI Construction, Bender Ornamental and Hunter Painting.
The intent was to design a bench that would reflect the energy and dynamics of Downtown Omaha and the Gene Leahy Mall. The operations of folding and cutting plate steel emerged into a series of localized contextual responses. The base of the bench, poised as if ready to jump, gestures toward a machine aesthetic. The seat itself, fabricated from one sheet of plate steel, is cut and folded to create intimate places for conversation and interaction.
The entire bench is 3/8” welded, painted plate steel with a center beam support which is 2”x4” painted tube steel. The unit is finished with Sherwin Williams clear anti-graffiti coating.

Additional Information: Donated by Prochaska & Associates and Dolphens Design and Sign. The frog theme was inspired by the lagoon at the Gene Leahy Mall, giving the impression that the amphibian might have crawled up from the water’s edge for a snack. The name “crO!ak” represents not only what frogs say, but also what the fly is about to do! Omaha’s “O!” logo is found right in the middle.
The playful theme is meant to appeal to both young and old alike and is fitting for the playground area of the Mall. The frog has captured a forlorn fly on the tip of his extended tongue, and he may just happen to catch a few Omahans in the process. The undulating tongue’s surface provides high and low seating for people of all sizes. The frog sits on a lily pad to help complete the theme.
The bench is fabricated from steel plates with welded connections. The steel was sandblasted to smooth all surfaces and was then given a powder coated finish for permanence. Bright green and pink colors accent the playful theme. A sacrificial anti-graffiti coating (Prosoco SC-1) has also been applied to the bench for protection.

Additional Information: Donated by DLR Group and SiteScapes, Inc.
Inspiration for the design was the simple beauty of Nebraska’s State Flower the Goldenrod and the desire to create a bench that focuses on act of communicating. The “bench” is comprised of six individual curved forms of varying height. The sweeping arcs of the seats wrap the corner of 14th and Douglas Street creating space for conversation both on the street side of the bench and within the park. Three of the goldenrods cantilever from the earth reaching into the sidewalk and the park reflecting the reaching nature of the Goldenrod.
The Goldenrod is constructed of a 1/2" steel framework, with a 10 gauge steel seating area. It is a fully welded unit and is surface mounting with a 1/2" stainless steel mounting plate. The finish is sandblasted and pretreated powder coat finish; polyester, exterior rated RAL 1037 "yellow".

Additional Information: Sponsored by Bruce Frasier Architects and Artisan Stone Company. Our inspiration comes from the simplest form and idea of a house; four walls, a pitched roof, and a place for shelter.
Stone cubes allow for various viewing angles and seating positions amongst a rhythm of metal houses. The houses provide a sense of separation for multiple users; an armrest, a backrest, or a shaded place for man’s best friend. Each unit is offset from the next 6” to create a pattern much like a house-lined street. The red color was chosen to compliment the green landscape. Black and red granite chips in the concrete blend with the red houses to create a unified brutalist design.
Wood cube forms are made to the exact shape, poured with concrete, mixed with black and red granite chips for color, once cured, the concrete is lightly sandblasted to create a soft texture. Each finished cube is anchored to the concrete slab with a ¾” coil and epoxy. The joint between the concrete slab and cube is filled with a vulkem based sealant. Each cube weighs approximately 500 lbs.
The houses are ¼” thick metal bent to shape. A 1/8” thick coating of rubberized truck bed liner spray is adhered to all surfaces of the house. The coating is soft to the touch and UV protected so the color never fades. Each house is anchored to the concrete slab with four anchor bolts and acorn caps.

Additional Information: Donated by RDG Planning & Design and Paxton & Vierling Steel. Our bench is made up of four individually rolled, laser cut, bead-blasted stainless steel sheets. These sheets are then fully welded and ground smooth at the seam to create an elliptical shape in section. These sections are then anchored to concrete pilings beneath the plaza by bolted connections. The four benches were designed and fabricated using computer aided technology, minimizing material waste. Only two 4’x8’ steel sheets were used in the fabrication of the bench.

Additional Information: Sponsored by Randy Brown Architects. The idea evolved from watching the construction of highways and seeing all of the rebar that goes into the concrete pours. Our vision was to pull this rebar out of the concrete and sculpt it to create spaces for sitting and talking. The concrete pad is also the structural component that anchors all of our rebars back into the ground.

Additional Information: Donated by HDR Architecture, LOOK Architectural Coatings, Chris Kemp and Great Plains Polymers.The three guiding principles for the design were: that it reflects the design principles of Landscape Architecture; that it has a back to be comfortable for all age groups and that it is long lasting.
The inspiration for the three seated bench is the natural succession of plant material from budding to full bloom; much like the growth of the City of Omaha. This progression is depicted in three acrylic panels, one on each of the seat back panels.
The smooth metal framework is a blend of smooth curves and strong geometric lines that reflect the natural curved edges of the water and the geometric grid line of the surrounding City’s built patterns. The hope is that this bench welcomes the user to sit back, enjoy the surroundings of our beautiful City and REFLECT.

Additional Information: Donated by Studio 360 Architecture. The design team wanted to create a unique bench that meets the needs of pedestrians, bicyclist and city transit users. It was important to create a bench that was inviting, comfortable and timeless. This was done by using a simple form that is iconic of a bench; this allows the user to focus on the function of bench first and foremost while the design is played up in the details.
Gene Leahy Mall was a major contributor to the design. The bench pays homage to the park by using similar colors and construction techniques. The bench mimics the cast-in-place concrete and wood inserts of varying depths used throughout the park; the primary steel elements are painted orange to match the light fixtures that surround the park. Serenity is constructed of steel (tube and plate) with a concrete anchor and base. The simple form of the bench also includes the ability for temporary bike storage.
Concrete base was cast in place concrete with “Dur-a-pell” Anti-graffiti coating by Chem Probe. The tube steel is powder coated in white while the plate steel is powder coated in orange.

Additional Information: Donated by Holland Basham Architects, Kiewit Building Group, Drake Williams Rebar, Davis J. D. Steel, Great Plains Polymers and Rich Bryen.
The team’s inspiration for Sinuous is the lagoon that is the hearbeat of the Mall and the winding paths that are its veins. Just as the water lazily flowers from shore to shore, our seat mimics this rhythmic movement from every angle and reflects the ebb and flow of the surroundings. The undulation of Sinuous allows you to be one with the park and asks you to be a participant in its energy.
The team chose rebar for its fragile yet sturdy characteristics; alone, the rebar is weak but together there is strength. It is easily manipulated and can be shaped and molded to imitate the landscape and the human body. The open composition of free-flowing bars implies a form that has a fixed presence but does not dominate the landscape. Sinuous emulates it inspiration-as the water directs it energy to the shore, Sinuous directs the individual to a defined experience.
Comprised of 27-Bent, #5 Rebar Profiles, all sandblasted with powder coat finish.

Additional Information: Sponsored by BVH Architects, Paxton & Vierling Steel Company and Boyd Jones Construction.
The concept for this bench design comes from a desire to combine technology and art. Plate steel is a durable material, and with the process of computer laser-cutting, it can be cut into any shape and inscribed with any pattern or image. Inspired by a simple cardboard box, a single piece of steel is laser cut to the desired shape and then bent into a seat with a backrest. Alone, this seat is not big enough for a single person. However, when copied and displaced several times, the combined pieces become a seating surface for multiple persons. Two sections of the bench are raised to become an armrest and to deter potential skateboarders.
The ‘tree’ image began as a desire to create a logo for Gene Leahy Mall. Practically, the cut pattern will allow water to drain from the horizontal surface of the seat. Aesthetically, it will allow sunlight to create unique shadows on the ground, to evoke images of the natural foliage patterning of trees. The design of the pattern was influenced by wood block carving techniques used in printmaking, a process of creating a picture with highlights and shadows by carving out from a flat surface

Additional Information: Donated by Dave Thomas. Our inspiration was the existing park landforms and elements which use classic, simple geometric forms. We wanted our seating unit to complement these forms, and chose to use the concept of vanishing lines (the convergence of lines as they move towards a point on the horizon) to accommodate a variety of people, from small children to tall adults. We also chose bright orange as the color to complement the yellow and orange palette of existing park elements.
We chose to fabricate our bench from formed steel plate, because it is a readily available material which has the ability to create sophisticated, highly sculptural forms through simple fabrication techniques. Our partner used their CNC cutting device to create the base shapes, and formed the flat shapes into three-dimensional objects using a steel brake. The finished piece is naturally sprung, which allows a subtle flex when in use. The tubular form will also interact with light and shadow to create different affects throughout the day.
The Waldinger Corporation donated the raw materials, fabrication and transportation.